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FAQs

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[slide name=” How do I source a printing quote? “]It is very important you provide printers will full details when sourcing a quote to ensure they are able to provide a correct costing in the fastest time possible. There are eight key pieces of information needed to source a quote, these are:

Quantity

Type of paper (uncoated, uncoated)

Weight of paper (GSM)

Size

What type of finish you’d like on the paper (gloss, matt, spot celloglaze)

How many colours are being printed (2 colours, 4 colour process)

What types of colours are being printed (PMS or CMYK)

Date and time the completed product is needed

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[slide name=” What is Digital Printing? “]Digital printing is a much faster process of printing as each item is duplicated in a lower quality to meet needs quickly. By definition, digital printing is the reproduction of digital images on physical surface where the ink does not actually absorb into the paper, rather creates a layer on the surface of the paper.

This method of printing generally produces less waste in terms of chemicals used and paper wasted in set up compared to that of offset printing. If you’re in need of small quantities or documents in a short amount of time, digital printing is a much more feasible option.[/slide]
[slide name=” What is Offset Printing? “]Offset printing is a process by which wet ink is applied to paper by means of a roller transferring the image from a metal plate to the paper. After you sign the artwork proof (generally a digital print), this image is output to a metal plate through a laser process.

Offset printing can prove to be more cost-effective compared to digital printing when:

Larger quantities need to be printed

The printing job requires a size or paper type that is unavailable through the quick-copy process

The colours used in the artwork are PMS colours which may be unavailable through digital print

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[slide name=” What is a PMS colour? “]PMS stands for pantone management system. The PMS colour system is a process by which each PMS colour has a formula to create the exact colour. This sometimes referred to as a ‘spot’ colour. Different inks are mixed together as per the formula to exactly match the requirements of each PMS colour. This can be a more costly procedure and it is a longer process, but you are guaranteed the exact colouring of the artwork. Each ink is printed individually in the specified areas rather than CMYK printing where each colour is printed over the entire document in differing ratios.[/slide]
[slide name=” What is a CMYK colour? “]CMYK stands for the four main printing colours; cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black). These four colours are printed individually over the top of one another to create the final colouring and imagery. For each colour featured in the document, the printer determines the breakdown of each of the four colours, for example if a navy blue is featured the printer will determine what percentage of the navy blue will include the key (black) ink. CMYK colouring does not result in exactly matched colours as each colour is not individually pre-mixed and printed.[/slide]
[slide name=” What is High Res vs Low Res? “]Resolution is a measurement used to describe the output quality of an image. Often these images are referred to as high resolution (hi-res) or low resolution (low-res). High resolution would be an image intended for print where as low resolution refers to images only intended for screen display.[/slide]
[slide name=” What is DPI? “]DPI stands for dot per inch. DPI indicates how many dots of ink per the resolution of the image.[/slide]
[slide name=” What is Bleed? “]When documents are trimmed to size, there are slight variations that can occur in the sizing due to the guillotine. A bleed provides a margin for error and ensures all colours and images extend to the very edge of the trimmed page leaving no unwanted white edges. To provide a bleed, simply extend any image or colouring beyond the trimmed size of the artwork to the recommended 3mm-6mm thickness[/slide]
[slide name=” What is a PDF? “]PDF stands for portable document format and this is the final step before sending your final artwork to a printer. Saving files in a PDF form increases the turnaround time and crystallises your document – you are literally taking a picture of the document, freezing it and the images into place. PDF’s are especially useful when producing large documents that include lots of images.[/slide]
[slide name=” What are trim marks? “]Trim marks are the marks printed on both the PDF sent to the printer and the proof you will approve before the final printing, which indicate the final size of the document and where the document will be cut to remove any excess paper.[/slide]
[slide name=” Artwork Checklist “]Before sending you artwork to the printer, it is important you are sure that all elements have been covered. The most important aspects to be checked include:

Spell check and proof read of your document. If spelling changes are to be made once you have received the first proof free of charge, there will be a cost to produce the second proof

Document colour mode set to CMYK and any PMS colour specifications have been included

Document is set to correct sizing (eg. DL, A4 etc)

All images are 300dpi (high resolution) to ensure the highest quality and is achieved and all images will be printed clear

Trim marks and bleed are included

All fonts have been supplied or have been converted to curves/outlines